Bottle crate



Feb. 27, H9211 LlMSS T. v. THOMALL.

BOTTLE CRATE Filed Oct. 5L= 1922 jf/.l

Patented Feb., 27, TQJZW NETE@ Tltlv'OTI-TY V. THOMALL, OF

COJHPANY, Of? CHICAGO, ILLTNOIS, A

CHICAGO, ILLINOS, ASSTGrNOB TO MILK BOTTLE CRATE CORPORATTON OIE TLLINOIS.

BOTTLE CRATE.

Application led October 31, 1922. Serial No. 598,198.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY V. THOMALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Crates, of which the following is a specification.

rlthe object of this invention is to provide a bottle crate with supports for the bottles of a strong and substantial construction and which will maintain their shape and position notwithstandingv the rough usage to which such crates are subjected.

nd a further object of the invention is to dispose and reinforce the bottlel supporting wires so that they will always be hel taut and rigid in their proper spaced relation to hold the bottles in the crate.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a selected embodiment of the invention and referring thereto Fig. l is a bottom plan view of a crate embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-.2 of Fig. l;

F ig. 3 is a detail perspective view.

Referring to the drawings the crate comprises a rectangular frame 5 having a plurality of crossed spacing strips 6 arranged therein to form cells or pockets for the bottles. When these crates are filled with bottles of milk, for example, they are quite heavy and they are often handled roughly and thrown about carelessly when iilled with full bottles as well as when filled with empty bottles. The crates are sometimes `filled with empty bottles in inverted position and placed in bottle washing machines for washing the bottles.

It is essential that the supports for the bottles should be of a strong and substantial character and always maintained in proper spaced relation so that they will not only support the bottles properly but will also space them when inverted in the crate.

It has been customary to provide parallel wires arranged in pairs and properly spaced to support the bottles in upright position resting thereon and also to support the bottles in inverted position with their necks resting on the wires. It has been found that these wires became loosened and displaced so that they will no longer support the bottles in upright or inverted position in the desired and expected manner and I have provided means for reinforcing and securing the supporting wires so that they will dY reinforced and spaced apart thereby. To

hold the supporting wires in their guides I provide a locking wire l2 which rests upon the strip and in the slots and beneath the supporting wires so that the supporting wires and the strip are always maintained in their interlocked relation as shown in Fig. 2. The locking wire 12 is slightly less in length than the distance between the opposite walls to which the strip is fastenedy so that it can be readily inserted in place and it is of suflicient length to prevent disengagement from the supporting wires by endwise movement.

My invention provides means of simple but strong and substantial construction for reinforcing and strengthening the supporting wires and for maintaining these wires in their proper spaced relation so that they will not be forced apart when bottles are inserted in the crate in an inverted position or otherwise but will always be maintained properly spaced to support and hold the bottles. The construction is simple, the parts can be easily made at low cost and easily assembled and the supporting wires are not only held in place but they are supported and reinforced and strengthened.

I may use one or more of these reinforcing strips as may he found necessary or desirable but I contemplate using only one in a crate for a dozen bottles.

The construction herein shown and described is one which I have tested and used y and found to be entirely satisfactory but I appreciate that changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention and I reserve the right to make all such changes ,airly 2111 within the scope of the foiiovvingclaims. Furthermore I reserve the right to employ the invention in crates/or boxes "ofro'ther de vices of an5T forni or censtrnc-ti'on yfor vholding bottles or other articles and l may use the invention in any numbers that may vbe* required. By the use of the Words,Mbottie crate herein I desire it to be understood as includingany crates or boxes ior` which the inventioninay be adapted.

l. In a bottle crate, a pair of Wires eX- tending across the crate, a trzuisverse strip secured at its ends to Walls or the `crate and engaged with said Wires, and independent means engagedrwithsaid Wiresy and With said strip for locking the Wires and strip in engagement. f

2, 1n a bottle crate,A a pairo Wires eX- tending across the crate, a transverse strip secured at its ends to walls of the crate and engaged 4with said Wires, anda locking Wire engaged with said Wires and with said strip for retaining the Wires and strip in engagement, l., p p l 3.. In a bottle crate, apair or" Wires ex tending across the crate, a transverse strip Secured atA its ends to walls of the crateand havingguides engaged with said Wires to reinforce and space the saine, and nieans engaged; with saidwires and A with said strip i'ory iockingthe 4Wires yand strip in yengag ment.

4. In a Hottie crate, a pairoic Wires extending'A across the crate, a transverse strip secured at its. ends to Walls of the crate and bent to `torni upstanding guides to receive and reniorce and space said Wires, Yand tending across the crate a transverse strip A secured at its ends to Walls otthe 'cr-ate and bent to'i'orm upstanding 'guides to receive and reinforce and space the Wires, saidfstrip being slotted at said guides, and-meansseated in said slotsupon said strip and beneath said Wires for locking the Wires and "strip in engagement. kp f v,

6. fn a bottle crate,a pair of (Wires 'eX- tending across the crate, a transverse strip secured at its ends to Walls of thecrate and having upstanding'guides to receive'and reinforc'e and space the Wires, said 'strip being slotted at said guides, and a `wirels'ea'ted on thestrip 'in said slots and beneath'said 'pair of livir'es to lock the pair of lWires and strip in engagement. v

7. In a bottle crate, a pair of 'Wiresextending across, the crate a transverse strip secured at its ends to W'alls'of'the crate and having upstandingguides yto receive said Wires, and a Wire extending through theupstanding guides and located between the strip and said pair ot Wiresij'or locking the Wires and strip in engagement.

TiMoTiiY v. TrioMaLL. 

